Pedestrians wait in the rain Tuesday January 8, 2013 to cross East Commerce street in downtown San Antonio. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue through the day with high temperatures reaching the 50s. Wednesday's forecast calls for a 90 percent chance of rain. less

Pedestrians wait in the rain Tuesday January 8, 2013 to cross East Commerce street in downtown San Antonio. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue through the day with high temperatures reaching the ... more

Photo: JOHN DAVENPORT, San Antonio Express-News

Image 4 of 5

Pedestrians scurry through the rain Tuesday January 8, 2013 on East Commerce street in downtown San Antonio. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue through the day with high temperatures reaching the 50s. Wednesday's forecast calls for a 90 percent chance of rain. less

Pedestrians scurry through the rain Tuesday January 8, 2013 on East Commerce street in downtown San Antonio. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue through the day with high temperatures reaching ... more

Photo: JOHN DAVENPORT, San Antonio Express-News

Image 5 of 5

A pedestrian scurries through the rain Tuesday January 8, 2013 on East Commerce street in downtown San Antonio. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue through the day with high temperatures reaching the 50s. Wednesday's forecast calls for a 90 percent chance of rain. less

A pedestrian scurries through the rain Tuesday January 8, 2013 on East Commerce street in downtown San Antonio. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue through the day with high temperatures reaching ... more

Photo: JOHN DAVENPORT, San Antonio Express-News

Hours of showers ahead

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Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue all day today and strengthen this afternoon, when they could cause flooding, the National Weather Service said.

“The heavy rains and thunderstorms haven't come in yet; they're expected to come in later this afternoon,” NWS forecaster Orlando Bermudez said this morning. “However, we're going to be monitoring the system closely.”

Today's high will be in the 50s. There's a 90 percent chance of rain Wednesday, with a high of 66 and a low of 43 in the forecast.

San Antonio could see up to four inches of rain over the next two days, the NWS said. Fed by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and eastern Pacific, the storm system could bring hail, damaging wind and heavy rainfall to parts of the state.

“Some isolated tornadoes are also possible, mainly near and east of I-35,” a special weather statement by the NWS reads, and up to six inches of rain could fall between Georgetown and Austin.

Officials have issued a flash flood watch for counties to the east of Bexar, but Bermudez said it may be extended west if rivers and streams are in danger of flooding. The warning lasts from noon today through noon Wednesday.